Dublin Prelate Would Sell Assets to Pay Abuse Victims

April 27, 2004
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DUBLIN, Ireland, APRIL 27, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Dublin's new archbishop indicated he is willing to consider selling any and all diocesan assets that can be legally disposed-of to compensate clerical sex abuse victims.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, 59, expressed his thoughts Monday as he took over the Dublin Archdiocese following the announcement that the Pope had accepted the resignation of 78-year-old Cardinal Desmond Connell as head of the diocese, the Irish Independent reported. Archbishop Martin had been coadjutor, with the right of succession.

The new archbishop said one of the assets that could be for sale is the 20 acres attached to Clonliffe College, the former seminary near Croke Park. He indicated that this was part of a search for a "non-adversarial model" of dealing with victims of clerical sex abuse, the newspaper said.

Archbishop Martin said that Cardinal Connell had acted in good conscience during the child abuse scandals.